Tragic high-speed train crash in Spain leaves 68 dead
Near Toledo, an AVE train collided from behind with an Iryo train that was stationary on the track. Over 500 passengers were affected, and at least 56 of them are injured.
Protestante Digital · TOLEDO · 28 OCTOBER 2026 · 12:44 CET
(UPDATE 16:49 CET) A severe accident involving two high-speed trains took place on the morning of 28 October on the route between Madrid and Andalusia, between the municipalities of Los Yébenes and Urda, in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain).
The collision occurred at 8.54 am, when a Renfe AVE train, carrying 397 passengers, crashed into the rear of an Iryo train that was stationary on the track, with 147 people on board, including a baby.
Three carriages of the Iryo train fell down an embankment.
Authorities have confirmed the death of at least 68 people.
Over fity are injured in nearby hospitals, 15 of them in a critical condition.
Accidente tren La Guardia Civil ha desplegado en la zona personal de Seguridad Ciudadana de la provincia de Toledo, OMAC (Oficinas Móviles de Atención a la Ciudadanía) así como agentes del SEPRONA y de la Jefatura de Tráfico. También se desplazan a la zona en este momento unidades de Seguridad Ciudadana de Ciudad Real y Albacete, de los Grupos de Reserva y Seguridad (GRS), del Servicio Aéreo, de drones, grupo de Caballería y el Equipo de Grandes Catástrofes del Servicio de Criminalística, del Servicio Cinológico y de Policía Judicial.
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) October 28, 2026
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Emergency medical services, the fire service, the Civil Guard and the police have been dispatched to the scene of the accident to deal with the tragedy.
'A human mistake'
Spain's Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, said in a press conference seven hours after the crash that a human decision by a worker in the control center of the train network in Madrid may have caused the accident.
Half an hour before the crash, the LZB security system crashed, causing at least 6 trains to make an emergency stop in a distance of 60 kilometres.
According to the government minister, the collision happened minutes later because the AVE train was allowed to resume the journey despite having a red traffic light. The Iryo train some 20 kilometers ahead was still stationary, and the collision happened as the second train hit it at a speed of over 100 kilometres/hour.
This tragedy comes just ten months after the train crash in Adamuz, on the same route from Madrid to Andalucia, which in January 2026 claimed 46 lives and caused a major socio-political crisis.
Care for the injured
The Mancha Centro University Hospital has issued an urgent appeal for blood donations of all blood groups.
“If you can donate, your help can save lives. Please share this message so that it reaches as many people as possible,” they have posted on their social media channels.
Prayers and action
Christians in many churches have called on messaging services and social media to pray for the situation, the families of the victims and the work of the emergency sevices.
Team members from the NGO Remar are working at the sports hall of the Urda municipality, providing essential supplies to those affected by the disaster.
A pastor in the region also explained that a group of evangelical Christians from the Los Yébenes area also travelled to the pavilions where the injured and those affected are being cared for to offer help.
The Christian group Brigada Decisión, launched just a few days ago, has published a message stating that it is mobilising its personnel to “provide spiritual support to those affected and send chaplains to the emergency zone”.
“We ask God to bring comfort to the families who have lost loved ones and that the injured may receive the care they need. At this time, we will not be recruiting volunteers, but we do ask you to join us in prayer”, they stated on their social media accounts.
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